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Santa Maria Police Fatally Shoot Fellow Officer
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UPDATE: Santa Maria Officer Fatally Shoots Fellow Officer

Written by Sharon Weston

Story Created: Jan 28, 2012 at 12:08 PM PDT

Story Updated: Jan 30, 2012 at 1:56 PM PDT

Santa Maria - The Santa Maria Police Department is holding an internal investigation over the details of a Saturday morning shooting, which left one officer dead.

The Police Department has not yet released the name of the victim, however, multiple media outlets are reporting that the officer is 29-year-old Officer Albert Covarrubias Jr. and the man who fired the shot is Officer Matthew Kline.

Detectives were informed of the possible misconduct of a Santa Maria police officer Thursday. More details were learned Friday about the officer's alleged sexual misconduct with a 17-year-old girl. Details were said to be "explicit" and included "witness intimidation."

Authorities say the officer realized he was being investigated, and when officers tried to arrest him, there was a struggle. The suspect drew his weapon and fired. An arresting officer fired back, hitting him in the chest.

Santa Maria police say the suspect was transported to Marian Medical Center, where medical staff tried to save him, but he passed away.

Full details will not be released until the investigation is complete. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department will conduct a criminal investigation of the shooting, while the Santa Maria Police Department holds an internal investigation.

Chief Danny Macagni says the deceased officer was married and worked with the department for four years. The arresting officer who returned fire has worked with the department for about 8 years, and is now on paid administrative leave per police protocol.

No other officers were shot, and it is not clear how many shots in total were fired or where the deceased officer was aiming. Further details are under investigation.

KEY News reporter Sharon Weston reports on the incident, and KEY News will bring you the latest information as the story develops.
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